Harry Potter and the Homemaking Dilemma
by Romantic Silence
Summary: After the war, Harry Potter was expected to achieve even grander things. Against everyone's expectations, Harry decided to become a househusband.


**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter.

**Foreword**: Most stories usually have Harry having this monumentous career. I thought I decided to do something a little bit different.

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**Harry Potter and the Homemaking Dilemma**

By Romantic Silence

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It was two years after Voldemort and his Death Eaters were vanquished at Hogwarts. Many lives were lost that day, but a time of peace finally settled in the wizarding world. No one would ever forget the sacrifices that were made in that final battle. Life continued on, waiting for no man.

Now, you must be curious as to what the saviour of the world, the Boy-Who-Lived, the Man-Who-Conquered, Harry Potter, had done during this new era? There was no mistaking that Harry Potter was a talented and sought after young man. For a person like him, there was no shortage of job offers. Many of his friends assumed that he would go into the Auror program like he had always dreamed of doing and once again take up arms to combat against Dark Wizards and Witches.

Harry chose _not _to become an Auror. He fought enough forces of the Dark Arts for a lifetime. He chose something none had expected him to do. A month after the final battle, Harry Potter was proposed to byf his long-time, best friend, Hermione Granger, and was wed as soon as they retrieved her parents from Australia and gave them back their memories. Now, you must be wondering, "Why is that such a huge concern?" Well, it's what he did _after _getting married that was shocking to everyone (but Hermione, of course).

Harry Potter became a househusband.

"Ron, what in blazes are you telling my two-year-old son?" asked Harry as he stepped from out of the kitchen and into the living room.

Ron Weasley was currently lying on the floor on his stomach, playing blocks with little Teddy Lupin, recounting the epic tale of his father (officially godfather). The little boy was laughing at the theatrics Ron had been doing as he regaled his magnificent story. Ron, hearing Harry, turned and smirked at his mate.

"Teddy has to learn sometime that his dad was once a heroic figure of great renown—the mightiest wizard in all the land since Albus Dumbledore!"

Harry rolled his eyes and but smiled wryly. It _was _pretty humorous. In all honesty, he never thought he was going to live to see his eighteenth birthday, but now here he was twenty years old, married, and with a son. It was simply incredible. Though, there was a problem with Ron's story...

"You know it's not like I don't have a job. I just happen to work from home. It's not that difficult to run all those charity organizations from here and I do only have to make a few appearances here and there," Harry explained, folding his arms into his chest. "You make it sound like I'm just a housewife."

Ron laughed. "The term is househusband. Also, Harry, you're standing right in front of me wearing an apron and preparing dinner. Mate, you're just like my mum!"

"Speaking of Molly," Harry began, deciding to let what Ron said slide. "Tell her when you see her that her new recipe for pumpkin pie is absolutely fantastic and to owl me the instructions on how to make it."

"You just proved my point!" Ron chimed.

Harry ignored his best mate and returned to the kitchen to continue with the dinner preparations. Although Ron was only jesting, Harry knew he wasn't the only one that thought what he did was odd. Rags such as the Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly often poked fun at his choice of lifestyle. In fact, society itself wondered why their hero had decided to live his simple life.

It wasn't just the wizarding world too. Although muggles were much more progressive in several social issues, they still had a traditional mindset that it was the man that was the breadwinner and the woman that stayed at home. When he met Dudley—now attending a university—again after the war, he could not comprehend why he chose fatherhood over travelling the world or something fun like that.

No one truly understood his decision. Only his wife, his dear sweet Hermione, understood.

"Daddy can I have more juice?"

Tugging Harry's pants, Teddy clutched his small cup close to his chest as to not spill. Harry looked down at the son of his late friends and smiled tenderly. _This _was the reason why he chose to forgo having a career like many others. He knew what it was like to not have a father. He knew how lonely it could be. When he finally met Teddy when he was only a few months old, Harry immediately decided what he needed to do. He was going to be there for the little guy.

"What's the magic word?" Harry asked.

"_Oculus Reparo!_" The child excitedly cried.

Harry had to hold back on his laughter. He wondered where Ted got _that _from. "Close enough, son. Has mummy been telling you how we met?"

"Yes!"

Teddy was such a quiet child. Whenever he did talk, it would be short sentences or a single word. He clearly took after Remus more than Tonks. However, he certainly did acquire his mother's metamorphmagus abilities if the happy shade of blue his hair had taken were of any indication.

After getting the juice (Hermione-approved brand only), Harry sent the little scamp back to the living room. "Come on, why don't you go play with Uncle Ron so daddy can make dinner?"

Teddy took a sip of his drink and nodded, eagerly returning to the living room. Harry heard Ron cry out in surprise and he grinned. Teddy had a habit of jumping on Ron whenever he was snoozing. Thank goodness for magic; he had placed a charm on the cup so it wouldn't spill. If they had been muggles, Harry would have been a bit worried that a massive spill just happened.

"Harry, Teddy, I'm home!" Hermione shouted from the front door. His lovely wife was home!

Harry stepped out of the kitchen just as Hermione entered the living room.

"Mummy!" Teddy yelled, disregarding his cup of juice, toys, and Ron as he sprinted as fast as his short legs could to Hermione.

Hermione picked up the bundle of energy and spun him around as she hugged him, eliciting giggles from the boy. "I missed you all day, Teddy! Mummy just wanted to play with you all day!"

"You're home early, love," Harry greeted her and stepped forward to plant a chaste kiss on her lips.

"I completed the paperwork of several of my cases early and I thought it prudent to relax tonight," she explained, flashing a dazzling smile at her husband. "How was your day?"

"Oh, it's been fine. I was reading to Teddy until that lazy arse decided to visit." He pointed to Ron waving sheepishly nearby.

"Ron! Oh, I didn't see you there," Hermione said.

"Blimey, too caught up in domestic bliss to notice one of your best mates since you were eleven? Good to know I'm chopped liver," Ron complained although everyone knew he didn't mean it.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh, shush. Staying for dinner?"

"Do you even need to ask? Harry's cooking is almost as good as mum's! Sorry, Harry, mum has got more experience."

"I'll beat her someday, Ron. Anyway, dinner is almost ready."

The rest of the evening came and went peacefully. Ron shared some interesting stories that happened at the joke shop over dinner before heading back to the Burrow (he was much too terrified of Molly to leave just yet). Hermione then read to Teddy when it was bedtime and tucked him in while Harry finished up all the chores still left around the house.

It was an exhausted Harry that came to bed as Hermione was reading a book.

"Are you alright, Harry?" Hermione asked him, tucking a bookmark between the pages and closing her book.

He nodded and mumbled, "I'm fine."

Unfortunately, Harry forgot who he was dealing with. A simple "I'm fine" would not work on Hermione Potter. The woman gazed at him meaningfully, placing pressure upon him to tell her the truth. Now that Hermione was concerned, there was simply no help in concealing it any further.

"Hermione, does it bother you that I'm a stay-at-home dad?" Before Hermione could answer, he continued on, "I know people talk about me behind our backs about what I do. Even I know your parents talk about how I should find a job. You understand why I choose to stay at home all day, but it doesn't mean it doesn't bother you."

Hermione frowned, staring at Harry as she formulated the thoughts in her head before answering. With a sigh, Hermione fell in Harry's arms and hugged him tightly.

"Harry, I don't care if you just want to be the homemaker. In fact, personally, I'm a little glad. You know how terrible my cooking was during the hunt; you always cooked the better meals when it was your turn. I'm proud to have you as a husband. In fact, I'm glad you're here raising Teddy instead of having someone babysit him all the time.

"So keep doing what you want to do. I don't mind either way as long as this is your decision and you're happy with it. Now, Harry, are you happy?"

That was a ridiculous question to ask. Of course he was happy! He had a family now—the one thing he had always wanted!

"Of course, Hermione," he answered tenderly.

"Good. Now normally, I would do a cliché and say we should practice expanding our family, but as you should know, I'm currently on my period and I'm in no mood for that tonight."

Harry chuckled. "I'll just assume that we made wild, passionate love after you comforted me with your words."

"Very good! Now, if you don't mind, Harry, I just got to this really good part in my book..." Hermione beamed and proceeded to continue reading.

He shook his head and lied down on the bed. Hermione was still Hermione. So what if society looked down at him for being a homemaker. So what if everyone thought he should do something greater. Harry thought he was already doing the greatest thing in life.

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**Afterword**: I can't help but think Harry would make a terrific homemaker if he was married to Hermione. It just feels so... _right_. Anyway, I wonder if I should make a series out of this. What do you think?


End file.
